Calcutta HC extends demolition stay on Abhishek Banerjee's Amtala office till Sep 18
Synopsis
The Calcutta High Court has kept alive the legal shield protecting TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's Amtala party office — a structure registered under a family-linked company — after the South 24 Parganas administration demolished part of it in July, claiming illegal construction. The state's top law officer is yet to argue the government's case, making the 8 September hearing pivotal.
Key Takeaways
The Calcutta High Court extended the interim stay on demolition of Abhishek Banerjee's Amtala party office until 18 September .
Justice Suvra Ghosh's bench fixed the next hearing for 8 September , when State Advocate General Surajit Nath Mitra will present the government's arguments.
The office building is registered under Leaps & Bounds Private Ltd , a corporate entity reportedly linked to the Banerjee family.
The South 24 Parganas district administration demolished a portion of the office on 18 July , citing illegal construction on the land.
Banerjee's counsel argued the demolished structure stood on plot number 507 , not the plots flagged in the original notices, and demanded compensation.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday, 20 August extended the interim stay on the demolition of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's party office at Amtala in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, until 18 September. A single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh simultaneously fixed the next hearing for 8 September, when the state's top law officer is expected to present the government's arguments.
Background: Demolition and the Court's Intervention
The South 24 Parganas district administration had issued notices to the office after multiple complaints of alleged illegal construction on land at plot numbers 509 and 512. After receiving no response to two consecutive notices, authorities demolished a portion of the Amtala premises on 18 July, asserting that the entire construction was unauthorised.
Abhishek Banerjee — also a Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP and nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the demolition. A special bench convened on a Sunday and granted an interim stay, directing the district administration to maintain status quo. The matter was subsequently referred to the regular bench of Justice Ghosh.
Corporate Ownership and the Leaps & Bounds Angle
The contested building is registered in the name of Leaps & Bounds Private Ltd, a corporate entity reportedly linked to the Banerjee family. During Thursday's hearing, counsel for Leaps & Bounds argued that while allegations of illegal construction pertained to plot numbers 509 and 512, the structure that was actually demolished was situated on plot number 507 — the specific plot used as Abhishek Banerjee's party office. The counsel demanded appropriate compensation for the demolition of that structure.
State's Position
State Advocate General Surajit Nath Mitra sought additional time from the court to frame the government's response. Justice Ghosh granted the extension, keeping the interim stay intact and scheduling the Advocate General's submissions for the 8 September hearing.
What Comes Next
The case will be closely watched as it raises questions about the limits of administrative demolition powers and due-process obligations — particularly when the targeted structure belongs to a prominent political figure. The 8 September hearing, where the state government is expected to justify the demolition, will be a critical juncture. A final ruling before 18 September could either validate the administration's action or order remediation, including the compensation sought by Banerjee's counsel.
Point of View
Political targeting allegations, and corporate opacity. The district administration's decision to demolish a structure on plot 507 when notices cited plots 509 and 512 is a procedural discrepancy that the court will need to scrutinise carefully. If the counsel's account is accurate, it raises serious due-process questions regardless of who owns the office. At the same time, the Leaps & Bounds ownership structure invites scrutiny of how political figures use corporate vehicles to hold assets — a pattern that courts and investigators have flagged repeatedly in West Bengal's political ecosystem. The Advocate General's silence so far only deepens the ambiguity.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Calcutta High Court extend the stay on demolition of Abhishek Banerjee's Amtala office?
The Calcutta High Court extended the interim stay to allow the State Advocate General time to present the government's arguments, which had not yet been heard. The stay keeps the demolition of the remaining structure on hold until at least 18 September 2025.
Who owns the Amtala party office building at the centre of this dispute?
The building is registered in the name of Leaps & Bounds Private Ltd, a corporate entity reportedly linked to the Banerjee family. Abhishek Banerjee uses the premises as his party office in South 24 Parganas.
What did the South 24 Parganas administration demolish and why?
On 18 July, the district administration demolished a portion of the Amtala office, claiming the entire construction was illegal. The action followed two unanswered notices citing alleged unauthorised construction on plot numbers 509 and 512.
What is the key legal argument made by Abhishek Banerjee's counsel?
Counsel for Leaps & Bounds Private Ltd argued that the structure actually demolished was on plot number 507 — the party office — not on plots 509 and 512, which were the ones cited in the administration's original notices. The counsel also demanded compensation for the demolition.
When is the next hearing in this case?
The next hearing is scheduled for 8 September, when State Advocate General Surajit Nath Mitra is expected to present the state government's position. The interim stay on further demolition remains in force until 18 September.
